Modern Lighting Brands - Q&A

1. What is the definition of a Modern Lighting Brand?

ANS: Modern lighting seems to be timeless, iconic and perpetually contemporary in every era. Modern light and artwork are the work of Art Deco and Frank Lloyd Wright and Bauhaus; while the world changes and the trends that peak and plummet within the world chance, these pieces of art, these lighting structures forever remain useful, beautiful and relevant.

Besides aesthetics, modern light sources are also more energy efficient and eco-friendly. Modern lighting brands will, naturally, emit less heat than older lighting sources. They are constructed more mindfully or are, at the very least, aware of the consequences that come with creating something with unsustainable materials.

Finally, modern lighting designs are being produced with more sustainably harvested and renewed resources. A great majority of modern lighting incorporates recycled or reused materials as well. A lot of modern lighting designs will include sleek and minimalists designs that point to simplicity and emit an overall caring attitude for the earth and its resources.

Creating a modern light fixtureWhat does the design process behind creating a modern lighting fixture involve? How does an artist decide to use his or her materials? Where does an artist find inspiration for her work? All artists, regardless of what materials they are working with, will undergo some creative process.

Observe // Artists glean information from the world around them. Observing the world in great detail, paying attention to trends, predicting what will become popular, being able to predict the future design trends for the next 5, 10 and 50 years in advance, recognizing what is becoming outdated--these are all important and essential pieces of observation.

Diverge // Ideate, ideate, ideate. Brainstorm an army of ideas, sketch 1,000 prototypes, think of 100 titles. The more ideas that you generate, the better products you will have. There are no bad ideas in this stage. Let your mind run wild and don't turn back. Ideas are your best friend and your greatest key to success in producing something unique, meaningful, original and beautiful.

Converge // Begin to narrow the ideas down. If you have ideated 1,000 of them, it is time to choose 20. Choose the best ones for now and save the others for later. You can always come back to them.

Implement // Take your top 3 ideas and run with them. Create prototypes of each model and fine tune the one that resonates most with you. Great artists give birth to things that other people consider crazy. This is pure genius, brilliance. You know what we’re talking about; have you seen some of the light fixtures out there?

The beauty, of course, in creating is that every artist will add their personal touch and unique fingerprints (literally!) to whatever it is that they are making. Each artist will undergo a slightly different process, engage in certain rhythms and routines that help them create and bring life to the world.

2. Who are some of the most important modern lighting designers?

Modern lighting designers have been on the rise lately, and all sorts of people from all over the world and of all different ages are beginning to chime into this creating and bring light (no pun intended) to the world with what they are creating. Here are just a few of the most important modern lighting designers of today.

Aage Petersen, Sculptor, 1902 – 1982Aage Petersen studied sculpting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark. Some of his best work is on display at the Copenhagen Zoo and at the Fakse Monument. His style was largely based on naturalism.

Achille CastiglioniAchille Castiglioni was born in Milan in 1918. He studied architecture and devoted a significant amount of time to researching and observing shapes, design techniques and creating with new materials. He worked to further the design process in modern lighting. Later in his life he taught architecture at a handful of schools at Turin’s and in Milan.

Amanda Taarup BetzAmanda graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2005. From there she went on to experiment with different types of fabricated folds and perforations that led her to create one of her most popular works, an octagonal lighting fixture that radiates soft beams of light from a thousand intricate folds.

Adriano RacheleAdriano Rachele was born in 1984, making him one of the younger and upcoming modern lighting designers. Despite his young age, however, he’s already got an incredible amount of accomplishments under his belt. Adriano studied Industrial Design but gravitated quickly away from conforming to any one system and began creating single-edition pieces that exhibited soul, expressed emotions and told stories that spoke louder than any one single form could. He continues to work in this way today and strives to create objects that are useful, combining “technology, functionality and innovation with tradition and emotion,” while still managing to radiate a unique and accessible essence.

Joana BoverJoana Bover’s dreams began as scribbles on napkins at local restaurants in Barcelona, Spain. Today her sketches have become timeless and iconic designs of seemingly perfect lighting structures that are being sold worldwide. She manages a team of highly-classified and skilled designers and owns Bover Lighting in both Barcelona and in the United States.

Jørn UtzonThis is a name you should know. Jørn Utzon is known for his accomplishments in winning the international architectural competition. His design and creation of the Sydney Opera House in 1957 is what won him the title. This work, as well as his interest in combining lighting and music, have made him a popular icon of 20th-century architecture. He creates and designs his work with the intention of helping people feel emotions and asking his lighting fixtures to draw the emotions out of people.

Wang Chung ChenChen is a rising star in the realm of modern lighting design and creation. His designs embrace a minimalistic yet modern look and are created out of his worldview that believes in finding a solution to every problem life hands us. The challenge is an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone; finding solutions are ways we can break down the barriers of resistance and keep creating to make the world a better place and continue advancing.

3. What are the top 10 designer lighting companies?

At Interior Deluxe we take great care in selecting the best designer products from the best designer companies that contract the best lighting designers. We have created a consciously selected collection of items that showcase the absolute best work from manufacturers around the world. Choose from our vast selection of manufacturers and browse our recommendations for the top 10 designer lighting companies.

Alma LightAlma Light, literally meaning “Soul Light,” is based out of Barcelona, Spain. They specialize in all different types of indoor lighting. Alma Light is dedicated to creating unique, modern and innovate home lighting fixtures with high-quality products that are made to last. Alma Light has been distributing their products worldwide for over 25 years and continues to adapt to change to meet the highest industry standards as they offer competitive pricing to keep growing and expanding their successful business.

AntaAnta is a European based designer lighting company based out of Scotland that is led by Gertrud Kracht. Anta continues to innovate and unleash creativity which is quite prominently displayed in their entirely new collection of 2016 light fixtures. Anta specializes in high-quality and high-class lighting fixtures and is situated on the most elegant end of modern lighting.

ArtemideArtemide is an Italian-based lighting company that had won many awards from the 1960s when Ernesto Gismondi started the company. They continue to win consistent awards today and are well-known for their environmental practices. Artemide thinks green and considers not only how to build their products with sustainable ways but also what type of effect their products will have on the earth once they are made are being used a daily and regular basis. They back all of their lighting designs with a 5-year warranty. Artemide has an enormous team of talented designers that work together to create award winning designs year round.

Louis PoulsenLouis Poulsen is an internationally renowned Danish lighting company that was founded in 1874. This is one of the older lighting companies around so they stand behind their products with their history and experience in the field. Their philosophy is all about creating simple yet functional designs that replicate natural light as opposed to artificial light. Louis Poulsen partners with Poul Henningsen to carry out the following words in everything the company does, makes and sells: function, comfort, and ambiance. In addition to this, the company strives to create "human-friendly lighting" that makes people appear beautiful and creates a natural, relaxing glow.

FoscariniIn 1981 Foscarini was set up on Murano island in Venice. Foscarini collaborates with designers from around the world to create lighting that elicits more than simple rays; they strive to create light that evokes emotions and draws the humanity out of people. They pride themselves on being free, passionate and unconventional. Foscarini has won dozens of awards, the most recent of which was in 2014 and they continue to lead in creative and unique lighting and design.

FlosFlos has been creating lighting fixtures for over 50 years. Flos is definitely innovating in major ways that other lighting companies aren't. Flos is intentional about connecting with masters of design, great thinkers, people that challenge the boundaries of existence, discovering new talents, commanding high technical and technological status, and staying in touch with trends and changes of culture allowing them to see well into the future and use light as a means to communicate their findings.

Catellani & SmithCatellani & Smith specialize in designing private lighting for public and personal spaces. Instead of mass producing lights or just creating lighting fixtures to existing only as light fixtures, they observe the space and create a lighting fixture that would perfectly match and suit the space. They specialize in all sorts of lighting from pendant lighting to chandeliers, wall fixtures, floor, standing, indoor and outdoor light and more.

Serien LightingSerien Lighting is a German-based company that was founded in 1983 and has been in operation for over 30 years. They specialize in all sorts of screen lighting. Their success is gaining tremendous accomplishments today as they have just won the German Brand Award of 2016 for their efforts and success in innovation with lighting, creativity, and design.

Luce PlanLuce Plan was formed in 1978 by 3 architects. Their focus is on creating beautiful items for the public. Luce Plan promises to stand behind their passion for design and continue to pursue their entrepreneurial courage in all of their observing and designing processes. Luce Plan not only holds practices eco-sustainability, but they strive to make innovations and improvements in the area of low-energy lighting. They don't just want to follow the trends; they want to set them.

LuminaLumina is an Italian design manufacturer that was founded by Tommasi Cimini. Lumina has embraced 35 years of passion and commitment to creating unique lighting. Lumina produces all of their lightings on a local basis and gets all of their supplies from local vendors. They provide their light fixtures in the greater Milan area. The best Italian designers are hired to use their expertise to create beautiful and unique accessories while they pay close attention to every small, yet significant, detail. Lumina is committed to working closely with their clients, especially during the past few years, and they are proud to now offer custom finishing for a majority of their projects.